Hollis
by I am The Lev
Summary: When a young teenage boy helps Marian escape from a band of belligerent outlaws, the gang sees to it that he has a better life. Some RobinMarian, for a little change of pace. Implied WillDjaq and AllanMorgan.
1. Not a Problem

This wasn't how it was meant to be. She was a warrior. She was meant to go down in a fight. She glanced up at the sky, glaring at fate for the cruel twist. An outlaw captured by outlaws. It was disgraceful. Since Robin's exodus into the woods, people had come to associate the term with good things. Outlaws stole from the rich. Outlaws gave to the poor. Outlaws fought against the Sheriff.

People had forgotten that there were other kinds of outlaws. Outlaws that were just that: outlaws. She supposed that they were the same in a way. They both lived in the woods. They both stole. The difference was that the outlaws that had gathered around her weren't interested in helping the poor, just themselves. Little John had told her that his old gang had been like that before Robin came. She always saw a tinge of shame in the man's eyes when he talked about it. She didn't know why. He had the goodness in his heart to change.

Even with Robin's example, the men that gathered around her now were low and disgusting. One of them, the largest and most smelly, and therefore the likely leader, stepped forward, holding his sword to her neck. The feel of steel being pressed against her neck wasn't wholly unfamiliar, and that, she reflected, was a bit sad.

"You've not got any money," he grunted thickly. She didn't roll her eyes, though the temptation was certainly there. No use in angering the stupid buffoon.

"I did say that, didn't I?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral. She'd used the tone so many times before that it came naturally to her. Every time that she had marched into the council of nobles with her father. Every time that Guy of Gisborne had tried to court her. Every time that she had tried to deny her feelings for Robin. She was glad that those days were over.

"What's a dainty, little lady like you doing in the woods anyway?" One of the other outlaws asked. She couldn't very well say that she was with Robin Hood's gang; it would certainly lead to trouble.

"I was walking," she answered in that same, level tone. Inside, she was slowly becoming outraged. She was not dainty. She was not little. Where was Robin? What was taking him so long? She didn't like thinking like that. She didn't like waiting around to be saved, but she didn't exactly have a choice.

"Oy, David! There's two more of them wandering down the North Road!" Someone called, running up to the group. David, the largest and most smelly, turned, removing the sword from her throat. He looked between the man that had run up to them and the woman that he had tied to a tree.

"Alright then. Everyone with me. 'Cept you, Hollis. Stay here and make sure that she doesn't leave," he ordered, scampering off to the North Road. One of the smaller members of the gang sniffled as he watched them go, wiping his nose o the back of his sleeve. He was much younger than the rest of the outlaws, though every bit as dirty.

"Don't you try anything," he warned, though she could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"Why are you running around with them?" she hadn't really meant to ask the question, but it had tumbled out anyway. She was getting downright sick of potentially decent people squandering their lives with bad company. The boy standing by her now couldn't have been older than fifteen. His mousy, brown hair stuck up at seemingly impossible angles, and his hazel eyes shifted between his captive and the forest floor.

"Protection," he mumbled finally. "My parents both died when I was little. David, the bigger one from before, is my cousin."

"That's no reason to follow him into the woods and terrorize people," she reprimanded. The boy looked down, as if he was used to this sort of scolding. Her glare softened, and she mustered half of a smile.

"Your name is Hollis?" he nodded, keeping his head down. "My name is Marian." At this admission, his eyes widened, and he looked up to get a better look at his captive. Even though he'd been living in the woods, he'd heard of the kind, compassionate Lady Marian.

"I'm so sorry, milady," he apologized, stooping in a sort of bow. He quickly checked to make sure the rest of his gang wouldn't come back anytime soon before his fingers flew over the knots of the rope, untying her.

"What are you doing?" Marian asked.

"I've heard about you. You're not like one of those other nobles that just walks around like the poor don't exist. You don't deserve whatever David's going to cook up," he mumbled, constantly checking to make sure the gang wasn't coming back.

"Won't you be punished?" Marian asked, rubbing at her wrists. Hollis shrugged.

"Wouldn't be the first time," he managed. Marian glanced around before making up her mind.

"Come with me," she offered. Hollis stopped short, staring at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Come with me," she repeated. "You said that you're part of this gang for protection. Come join my gang. We can protect you." Hollis didn't know what to do. It occurred to Marian that perhaps he'd never been treated with such kindness. There was a sneering quality in the way that David had commanded him that came across as neither warm nor caring.

"Marian!" Robin's voice came out of nowhere, startling her. He stepped from behind a tree, Will and Much following him, weapons at the ready. "Are you alright?" Marian nodded, gently taking the boy by the wrist.

"Robin, this is Hollis. He was going to free me," she introduced. "Hollis, this is Robin Hood."

"Bloody hell!" Hollis gasped. He turned a bright red and placed a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, milady. I didn't mean… Only… Robin Hood, himself!" Robin grinned widely. He never got tired of the way people reacted when first meeting him.

"Hollis, thank you very much for helping Marian," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Marian, we've got to go."

"Robin, I need to speak to you," Marian beckoned, pulling him off to the side. Hollis gulped, waving nervously at the two other men. The man on the right, the shorter of the two, nodded in acknowledgement, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The man on the left merely stared back at him, giving a minute nod that Hollis could've imagined.

"My name's Hollis," he said slowly, his voice shaking a bit. Much smiled. It was good to know that living in the woods hadn't robbed the boy of all of his manners.

"I'm Much," he replied, sending a look of confusion across the younger man's face.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you're… you don't really look like much. I mean, you're not very tall or anything," Hollis stumbled over his words. Much didn't know whether to laugh or be offended.

"That's his name," the man on the left corrected gently. "Mine's Will."

---

"We can't just let everyone join the gang," Robin whispered. "I'm grateful that he was willing to help you, but we can't just welcome him into the gang. We don't know anything about him."

"We don't have to keep him at the camp. We could secure a safe place for him. Kirklees? Scarborough? Leicester? It would only be for a few days, Robin. He deserves a chance at a life outside of the woods," Marian argued, glancing back at the teenager, who seemed to be carrying a conversation with Much and Will. More accurately, Much was carrying the conversation, and Will and Hollis were occasionally nodding.

Robin licked his top lip, as he had a tendency to do when thinking. He nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah, alright," he muttered. Marian hugged him gratefully.

"Come on, then. We've got to hurry before his cousin's gang comes back," she ushered.

---

Hollis could hardly believe what was happening. One day, he was fighting it out with an unruly gang of men for a bit of undercooked rabbit. The next, he was wandering off with Robin Hood and his gang. He didn't feel a bit bad about leaving his cousin's gang. David had actually threatened him into joining. He shook his head. Lady Marian had told him that she was going to make arrangements to send him a safe place, where he could have a normal life.

Hollis smiled. He'd like that very much. He had always wanted to be a brave knight, maybe a Crusader, like his father had been, but after the few weeks he'd spent in the forest, he figured that a normal job, like blacksmith or carpenter, would be nice. He didn't want to seem overly-eager, though. The last thing he wanted was for Robin Hood to think he was childish. Still, when they removed the blindfold, revealing that he was now standing in the middle of their camp, he couldn't help but stare in amazement.

"Welcome to the camp, Hollis," Marian smiled. Robin watched the teenager. The boy reminded him of Daniel, wide-eyed with wonder. At the same time, Hollis had maturity that Daniel did not. Hollis smiled sheepishly, becoming aware of the fact that he was gawking.

"This is a proper camp," he commented, trying to keep the excitement from his voice.

"Hollis, that is Djaq," Robin introduced, pointing out the Saracen healer, who waved. "And that is Little John." Robin didn't feel the need to point out Little John. He tended to get noticed. "Djaq, Little John, this is Hollis. He'll be staying with us for a few days."

"Hello, Hollis," Djaq smiled pleasantly. Little John, like Much and Will, settled for a simple nod of greeting.

"Hello," he replied, still trying to keep his voice level and calm.

"Where's Morgan?" Robin asked. Little John rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Not back yet. Your guess is as good as mine," he sighed. Robin took this information in stride, hoping that she hadn't gotten lost. Again. One day, he was going to have to draw a map for her.

"You'll meet Morgan later. For now, just get settled. Dinner should be ready soon," Robin instructed with a grin. Hollis nodded. Robin was a much nicer leader than David.

---

"What happened to them, if you don't mind my asking?" Much inquired, sopping up the soup in his bowl with some bread. Hollis had spent most of dinner telling the outlaws about his life. How he'd grown up in Treeton. How his father had been a miner, until the Crusades.

"My dad went to the Crusades. He died in Messina, I think. My mum was carried off by sickness not too long after. I've been running with David and his lot for a couple of months now," he explained, using the silence afterwards to spoon soup into his mouth, glad that it wasn't undercooked meat.

"So, do you have any interest in being a miner?" Djaq asked, "It is a dangerous profession." Hollis gave a sort of laugh.

"King Richard could come back and say that he'd make me his heir, and I still wouldn't go into that death trap. My friend Rowan's father and uncle both died because of it," he muttered, shaking his head. "No, mining's not for me. I'd much rather do something else. Maybe I'll be a blacksmith or a carpenter."

"Really? You know, Hollis, Will's a carpenter. He designed and built this camp," Djaq mentioned. Will nodded, trying not to blush as Djaq bragged about him. Hollis gave Will a grin of admiration, glancing around at the camp.

"OY!" the shout surprised everyone as the camp opened. Hollis stared as a woman ran in, jumping excitedly and flailing her arms. "Come on! Come quick!"

"Where have you been?" Much asked. The woman shook her head, continuing to point and jump and flail.

"Not important! Hurry! Shipment! Gold! North Road!" she gasped, dashing back out of the camp. The outlaws went into motion immediately. Hollis stared after the woman before looking to Will.

"Will, who was that?" he asked. Will briefly glanced up, following the boy's gaze out of camp before returning his attention to securing his axe at his waist.

"That was Morgan. She's," Will paused, searching for a word. Bizarre? Odd? Like a squirrel? "She's Morgan." He finally decided. "Come on, then. We're moving." Hollis followed the carpenter out of the camp, picking through the forest, on a path that led to the Great North Road.

Will caught up with Morgan, who was crouching behind a large rock, waiting impatiently. Hollis didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he caught snippets of their conversation anyway.

"Where is it?" Will asked, peering down the road.

"Coming," Morgan replied, tapping her fingers on the top of the rock.

"Did you pass it on the way?" Will asked curiously. Morgan didn't answer right away.

"A little bird told me," she finally replied with a grin.

"A little Allan bird?" Will asked slyly, nudging her. Morgan's grin widened.

"Maybe."

"Seriously, Morgan, Robin's not going to keep believing that you're getting lost," Will sighed, shaking his head.

"Relax, Will. If Robin finds out, he finds out," she said casually, turning to face the carpenter, consequentially facing Hollis. "Who's this?"

"My name's Hollis, milady," he said as politely as he knew how, bowing his head slightly. For a moment, he thought he'd done it incorrectly, as Morgan had started sniggering. She put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"My name's Morgan. Just Morgan. None of that 'milady' stuff," she greeted. Will nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she's not a lady," he said seriously. Morgan returned her gaze to the road for a second before she worked out what Will had implied. She playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Very funny, Will," she smirked. "Look, here it comes!" Surely enough, a cart was making its way down the road, surrounded by a handful of guards, carrying torches that cast light down the path. Morgan looked ready to move, but Will mechanically put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait for the signal," he reminded softly. Hollis quietly cleared his throat.

"What should I do?" he asked. Will glanced back at him, thinking for a minute.

"Stay with Morgan," he replied. Hollis tried not to smile, sneaking a glance at her.

"Not a problem," he muttered under his breath.

---

And there's chapter one! This story will have a lot more Robin and Marian in it, and therefore more RobinMarian in it. I feel I've been neglecting them a bit.

Hope you guys enjoy! Please review and stuff!


	2. Might be a Problem

The gang had surrounded the cart and was relieving it of its gold. It was a nice haul, Marian decided, and the cocky grin on Robin's face told her that he agreed. He bowed superfluously before the guards.

"On behalf of the poor of Nottingham, we thank you, gentlemen," he announced grandly, picking up a sack of gold and slinging it over his shoulder as he stood. Hollis, he noticed, had jumped right into the swing of things, offering to carry the bag that Morgan had lifted in addition to his own.

"Thanks, Hollis," Morgan grinned, handing the bag over and hitting Will in the shoulder with the back of her hand. "See, there? That's how you treat a lady." She was only teasing, knowing Will to be painfully polite, unless he was picking on her.

"I thought we already established that you're not a lady," he returned. "Anyway, you're just trying to get out of the heavy lifting." To make sure she didn't, Will handed Morgan one of the bags he was carrying.

"Come on, _children_," Robin called, though most would argue that he had no room to talk. "Back to camp."

"He was talking to you," Morgan whispered.

"No, he was talking to you," Will muttered out of the side of his mouth. Little John gave the both of them a firm push in the back.

"He was talking to both of you, children," he finalized, shaking his head. As if agreeing with him, Djaq rolled her eyes. Will and Morgan fought like siblings, and it was always the worst when they had been separated for a while. She found it refreshing, seeing Will so uncharacteristically vocal, seeing him smile and laugh. Still, she crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head and falling back to walk with Little John.

Robin and Marian walked behind the group, discretely holding hands.

"You were really arrogant back there," Marian observed.

"You were really beautiful," Robin replied slickly. Marian chuckled.

"Hollis seems to be fitting in," she changed the subject. The boy was currently trailing behind Morgan, laughing as she and Will went back and forth. Robin nodded.

"He's a good kid. You know, I was thinking," he began.

"For a change," Marian interrupted, giving his hand a squeeze. He grinned, ignoring the comment.

"I forgot how good you are with kids," he continued. "You'd… you'd make a good mother." Marian smiled warmly, leaning on his shoulder.

"Are you trying to say something, Robin of Locksley?" she asked, glancing up to see his subtle reaction. Had she not been looking for it, she wouldn't have seen it. The faintest blush.

"Just an observation, for what it's worth," he said smoothly, as if he hadn't really been trying to compliment her.

"Well, I think you'll make a good father," she returned, "for what it's worth." Sometimes, she just wished that he'd come out and say things. Still, if he did that, he wouldn't be Robin.

"Scarborough would be best for him, I think," he said. To anyone listening, it would've seemed random, but Marian knew that he'd been thinking about Hollis and where he might go. "He said that he wouldn't mind learning carpentry. We could ask Will's Auntie Annie to take him in for a while. With what we lifted tonight, we could send enough to keep them fed for a while. He and Luke are about the same age." Marian nodded.

"He seems to like Will well enough," she noted.

"Yeah, he seems to like Morgan, too," Robin muttered with amusement, jerking his head at the teenager. The boy was taking Will's suggestion to stay with Morgan a little too seriously, walking so close behind her that if she were suddenly stop, he'd crash into her. The blacksmith was oblivious, caught up in her little spar with Will.

"He's only fifteen, He doesn't think like you do," Marian indirectly jabbed.

"Hey, who has more experience being a fifteen-year-old boy?" Robin asked. "Trust me, I know exactly what he's thinking about." Marian rolled her eyes, gently pushing him in the side of the head.

"Grow up," she muttered.

---

"Good call, Morgan," Robin complimented as Morgan helped him load things into the make-shift safe. "Is that why you were so long getting back, or did you get lost again?" Morgan grinned.

"Bit of both, really," she admitted. "Besides, it was a beautiful day. I took me time."

"How's your mum?" Robin asked casually.

"She's alright. Took the news in stride, she did. Barely even cried," Morgan mumbled, her own voice trailing off. It still hurt her to think of Michael, even though it had been nearly a month. She paused and took a deep breath, handing another bag of gold to Robin.

"How'd we come across the boy?" she asked. Hollis was currently sleeping, curled up on Morgan's loft.

"He was helping Marian. His cousin's gang is the pack of thieves that skulk about the southern part of the woods," Robin explained. "He's a good kid, though."

"Makes me feel old, he does," Morgan replied honestly. "He's how old? Fourteen? Fifteen? That's about ten less than me." Robin stared.

"You're twenty five?" he asked incredulously. Morgan nodded.

"I'll be twenty six come February," she confessed, "and if anyone else finds out about it, I'll break your legs." Normally, Robin would've laughed the threat off, but coming from Morgan, and considering what they were talking about, he almost felt that she was serious. Still, she smiled.

"Anyway, Will was saying that he's only staying until you can find a safe place for him," she muttered, shooting him a thoughtful glance. "So, I was thinking that maybe he could go live with me mum. I mean, I know that you've been thinking about it. I'm only saying, if you don't come up with something."

"And how do you know I've been thinking about it?" Robin asked, always eager to here Morgan's unique thought process. Sometimes, it was incredibly insightful, but it mostly just made him laugh.

"You were giving him the dad look," Morgan replied, as if it was completely obvious. "When I came in, and you were all by the fire. Don't ask me to explain it. It's something you have to see."

"The dad look, huh?" Robin mused aloud, trying to piece together what a 'dad look' might look like.

"Aye, and Marian was giving him the mum look. Not being funny, but you two are just like a proper married couple," Morgan commented. She could tell that she had embarrassed him and thought it wise to excuse herself before he decided to throw something at her.

---

Marian watched as Morgan flitted out of the camp. By now, the gang was used to her frequent, nighttime departures, so Marian didn't question it. Her gaze fell instead to Hollis, who was sleeping soundly on Morgan's loft. He looked comfortably, despite the thin blankets and hard planks and whatever else Morgan saw fit to throw up there. An offhanded comment that Will often made caused Marian to smile. _Probably has acorns in there. On my life, the girl is part squirrel._

The though that the boy had merely been sleeping on a patch of ground, probably not a comfortable one by the way his old gang treated him, hit Marian with a mix of emotion. She was first of all sad that poverty had driven yet another boy into an undesirable life. The sadness then melted into outrage. Who did that David think he was, forcing a fifteen-year-old boy to live in the woods and steal from people?

"You're giving him a mum look," Robin whispered quietly, sitting on the edge of her bed. Marian glanced at him, smiling as he scooted next to her and threaded his arm around her shoulders. Of course, he was careful never to let the rest of the gang see it, but she supposed that it made it that much more sweet when he made the effort to be sneaky.

"A mum look?"

"Don't ask me to explain it. It's something you have to see," he preemptively stated. "But don't worry, the look suits you." She rested her head on his shoulder, laughing softly.

"Where do you come up with these things?" she asked, tracing the lacing on his shirt. He smirked.

"Worldly experience," he answered, grabbing her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He lightly laid his chin on her head.

"So, Morgan told you?" Marian asked. Robin could tell she was smiling.

"Morgan told me," he admitted. "But you have to admit, it sounded convincing." He lightly kissed her fingers. Marian laughed at pulled her hand away.

"Don't do that. Your beard tickles," she teased.

---

David was a slow man, but, given enough time, he could figure most things out. He paced around the tree where the girl had been tied up, muttering to himself as the rest of his gang watched.

"Hollis freed the girl, and the both of them scarpered off into the woods," he finally concluded loudly. "We were in the south, so they went north. So, we're going after them."

"David," one of the men piped up, "we can't go north. That's Robin Hood's territory." David punched the man in the face, satisfied as he hit the ground.

"I know it's Robin Hood's territory. But who is Robin Hood, exactly? I'm sick of hearing about him. He's just a stuck up noble playing hero with a handful of people in the woods. No better than we are," David pointed out. Perhaps, given a proper education, David could've done something good with the speaking skills he'd been granted. As it was, however, he used his grasp of public speaking to make the sorry lot of men he surrounded himself with listen to his every word he said. They all nodded in agreement as he went on about Robin Hood and his gang.

"I mean, really! We've got more men than he does. There are…" he paused, realizing that he wasn't sure how many men he had with him. He quickly changed directions. "There are girls in his gang! We can take on a couple of girls!"

"What about that big one? Little John?" David hit that man, too.

"If he were really a threat, would he depend on girls to fight with him? You lot listen to me! We're taking down Robin Hood and his gang, and then we'll be set. No one else in the forest would ever mess with us again, and the Sheriff would pay us for our troubles," David planned aloud, beckoning for his gang to gather around him. "Now shut your mouths and open your ears. This is how we'll go about it."

---

Little John didn't mind listening to the problems of the other outlaws. It was something of an ego boost, the feeling he got when they trusted him enough to confide in him and ask for his counsel. He just wished that they'd have fewer breakdowns at night. Djaq had been bothered since the earlier raid and had stalked off into the trees. John had given her a minute before he'd followed after her.

She was slicing at a tree, with little regard for form or aim. She turned as he approached, sheathing her sword. Little John waited for her to speak. Each of the outlaws required a different approach, and one had to tread especially careful when dealing with the girls. With Marian, it was always something obvious. Something that everyone knew, but no one wanted to say. So, Little John would say it.

With Morgan, it was just a matter of letting the girl get through the hysterical crying and nonsensical apologies. If Little John recalled correctly, she'd one apologized for starting the Holy War, which just didn't make sense. Of the three girls, Djaq was the most different. She didn't want a shoulder to cry on. She didn't want to be told that everything was alright. She was a woman of science, and she wanted facts.

"It's not because he's happy. I want him to be happy," she began levelly. "Why can't I make him happy? Why can't I make him laugh and smile and joke?"

"It's not that you can't make him laugh, though is it? It's that she can," John offered, knowing full well of all of the romantic drama at camp. Djaq put her hands on her hips, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She wouldn't allow herself to cry.

"She is my friend, but a part of me wants to hit her over the head," she confessed. The thought flew through Little John's head automatically.

"I think we all feel like that sometimes. She's a very… overwhelming person," he selected his words carefully. "And you are wrong." Djaq's eyes snapped open, and she looked at John, almost daring him to prove it.

"When he smiles at her, it is because she has done something silly. You make him smile with only your presence," he explained. "He has a brother, so he knows how to express brotherly love. He doesn't know how to deal with his feelings for you because he has never been in love like this." Djaq couldn't say that she was surprised by the depth of Little John's words. He was not, as most would suggest, a simple woodsman. He knew of things like love and friendship. He knew the things that mattered most.

"You do make him smile, Djaq. He just doesn't know how to show it." Djaq nodded, muttering a hushed "thank you" before turning to face the trees. Little John stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, saying nothing further. He was glad that that did the job, because he was pretty sure it was the most unmanly thing he had ever given utterance. Djaq quickly wiped her eyes and steadied her breathing.

"Besides, we all know that she's Allan's girl," he added.

"Everyone but Robin," Djaq laughed. Little John nodded.

"Yes. Everyone but Robin."

"How long do you think he'll believe that she's getting lost?"

"No telling."

---

Have I ever said how much WillDjaq makes me smile? Because the answer is "a lot."

Anyway, I apologize for not being good at writing RobinMarian. I'm working on it, I promise.

Also, just out of curiousity, when you guys read the bit with David, did you get a mental image of Royston's evil twin? Like, Royston, only with a silly mustache? Cause that's what I pictured after I wrote it, though it's not a reflection of my opinion of Royston. I quite liked Royston. ahem I digress.

Hope you guys enjoy! Please review!


	3. A Small Problem

Hollis didn't mind that they were nearly lecturing him. Robin and Marian stood side by side in front of him, telling him various rules that he was expected to follow. He grinned. It was almost like having parents again, worrying about his well being and giving him guidelines.

"If you need to leave camp, make sure that someone is with you. With the Sheriff's men looking for us and your cousin's gang, it's just too dangerous for someone to be out there alone," Robin explained. "Marian and I are going to arrange for your safe passage, and we want to know where you'd prefer to go." Hollis was clearly surprised. He hadn't been asked for his honest opinion in a long time.

"We can send you to Scarborough. Will's brother Luke is nearly the same age as you are, and we really think that the two of you would get along," Marian smiled encouragingly. "Morgan also asked us if you'd like to stay with her mother. She's getting on in years, and she could use the help of someone your age. Morgan said she was worried that she was lonely." The section option was less enticing than the first, so Marian was naturally surprised when Hollis made his choice.

"I'll go with Morgan's mother. I mean, she needs the company and all," he answered thoughtfully.

"You're sure?" Marian asked. Hollis nodded.

"Yeah, it'll be a new experience for me," he smiled.

"Alright, then, we'll go make the arrangements. We should be back soon," Marian guaranteed, leading Robin from the camp. The Earl of Huntington was doing everything humanly possible to stop himself from exploding with laughter. As soon as they were a safe distance away, Marian elbowed him in the chest.

"What is so funny?" she asked.

"Oh, Marian, come on. Don't pretend you didn't notice," he almost begged, shooting her an unbearably victorious smile. Marian didn't say anything, finally shrugging as a signal for him to go ahead and get it over with.

"He had a choice between hanging out with a boy his age and living with an old woman, and he chose the old woman," Robin said, painstakingly slowly, reinforcing his explanation with hand motions. Marian scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"He was being kind. He saw the opportunity to help someone in need, and he took it," she defended. Robin nodded as if he accepted her answer, though the smile hadn't left his face.

"I suppose the fact that the old woman is Morgan's mother doesn't enter into it, then? And I'm sure that he didn't figure out that Morgan visits her mother at least once a month," he pointed out in mock reassurance.

"Just leave it alone," Marian snapped crossly, annoyed to find that Robin took it as an act of concession. "Anyway, what does it matter to you that he is infatuated with Morgan?"

"Because it's Morgan!" Robin exclaimed, spreading his arms in the typical fashion.

"And?" Marian prompted, waiting for an elaboration.

"And it's hilarious!" Robin laughed. Marian shook her head in disbelief. She didn't want to believe that she was enduring all of his gloating because he simply thought it was _funny_, yet there they were. She gave him a loving shove, walking ahead as his laughs followed her down the path.

"Grow up," she called over her shoulder.

---

He sat down at the table, twiddling his thumbs, sneaking glances at the loft where he'd slept. Morgan was sprawled across it now, lying on her stomach. She hadn't returned to the camp until late in the morning. Hollis had asked Will where she had slept, but the carpenter had only taken momentary pause in his carving to shrug and mutter that she did that sort of thing all the time.

Hollis stood, straightening his clothes and slicking back his hair before walking over to the loft, trying to copy Robin's confident swagger.

"Hey," he greeted, leaning against the frame of the loft's support beam. Morgan looked up from whatever it was she was doing, and Hollis could've sworn that she had shoved a piece of parchment under her blanket.

"Hallo, Hollis," she smiled sweetly. "You need something?"

"Nah, nothing," he muttered, trying to be slick about it. "I've just had a word with Robin and Marian. They've gone to make sure my passage is secure."

"Going to Scarborough, then?" Morgan asked, sliding off of the loft, stretching. Hollis shook his head.

"Going up north, actually. To stay with your mum," he corrected, suppressing the smile as Morgan's eyes lit up. He was unable, however, to hide the blush as she drew him into a sudden hug.

"That's so thoughtful of you," she commented, "Mum'll be pleased." She released him from the hug, ruffling his hair.

"Well, I figured that if I could help out…" Hollis trailed off with a casual shrug. Morgan grinned.

"You're a good lad. Robin and Marian are gone, then?" she asked, peeking around camp. Hollis nodded, trying to maintain a Robin-esque air of nonchalance. He noticed a mark on Morgan's neck. It looked like a bruise.

"Did you get that it a fight?" he asked curiously, pointing at the mark. Morgan looked confused for a moment before her hand moved to her neck. She turned a brilliant shade of red, looking to Will, who was exerting a considerable effort to keep his head down, his shaking shoulders the only indication of his laughter. Djaq, who did a much better job of hiding her amusement, made her way over, inspecting the mark on Morgan's neck.

"You probably got it last night. All that running around we were doing," she supplied. "Come on, I'll have a look at it." Morgan gave her a grateful smile, following the Saracen out to the river. Hollis moved to follow, but Will called him over to show him the dagger handle he was carving, allowing the girls to slip out of camp alone.

"Thanks, Djaq," Morgan sniggered, rubbing at the spot on her neck. Djaq laughed, pulling a small rag from her pocket.

"Anytime," she replied, crouching by the river, dipping the rag into the water. She held the wet cloth out to Morgan, pressing it to her neck. "So, you went to Allan's last night?"

"Maybe." _Yes._

"And you two were kissing?"

"Maybe." _Of course._

"It will take a week for the bruise to go away. Try wearing a scarf," Djaq suggested, patting her blushing friend on the shoulder before returning to camp.

---

The Sheriff was puzzled. There was a band of large, smelly men standing in front of him. He glanced to his right, where Gisborne was shaking his head in obvious distaste.

"Gisborne, who are they?" he asked, not bothering to hide the question from the men.

"They're outlaws, my lord. They say that they've come up with a way to catch Robin Hood," Gisborne explained, though it was obvious that he didn't believe it. The largest and smelliest of the men stepped forward.

"Oy, Sheriff! We hate Robin Hood as much as you do, so we figured that we'd be doing us both a favor to be rid of him," the man proposed. The Sheriff tried to listen, but the man was saying words, none of which were particularly interesting. He caught something along the lines of "Blah, Sheriff! Blah di blah Robin Hood blah di blah di blah." He shrugged hopelessly, turning to Gisborne.

"How do you propose to do that? Why would we entrust a pack of filthy outlaws to succeed where we haven't?" Gisborne asked.

"I have more men than Robin Hood. I get half of them to rob people on the North Road, all at once. Robin never takes kindly to us poaching on his territory, so he'll come running to stop us," the leader started. "As soon as we're sure that his whole gang is at the north road, the other half of my men will circle around and cut off their escape."

"Not being funny," Allan piped up from his spot beside Gisborne. "But that's never worked before, has it?" David waved dismissively.

"We don't need to surround him, just stop him from getting his gang back together. Wear him down. If we rob enough people at once, it'll spread his gang out, and we can take them out one by one," he explained.

"And how can you know that those people will all be on the North Road at once?" Gisborne asked.

"Well, that's why we came to you," David muttered. "Need your help. Otherwise, we'd just take care of things ourselves, wouldn't we?" He looked to the Sheriff, waiting for an answer. The Sheriff rubbed his chin, surveying the outlaw before him.

"You have terrible teeth," he finally remarked. "Gisborne, see that he gets what he needs."

---

"You could wear a scarf," Allan suggested, examining his handiwork with a grin. Morgan shot him a look, covering the mark with her hand. "Not being funny, but you weren't complaining when I gave it to you." This earned him a sharp punch in the shoulder.

"Did you need something?" she asked, exasperated, glancing about to make sure that no one was coming. Allan wouldn't come to see her in the woods. Not in the middle of the day. Not unless he had a good reason.

"There was an outlaw in the castle today," he started, his sudden seriousness alerting Morgan to the importance of his message. "He's working with the Sheriff to catch Robin." Morgan furrowed her brow in thought.

"How? If it was that easy, the Sheriff would've caught Robin a long time ago," she pointed out. Allan nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but he's got a plan. It's pretty good, actually. Sometime, either today or tomorrow, he's going to have his men attack several travelers along the North Road. He's hoping that Robin will try and stop them. There'll be enough carts that it'll spread the gang out. Divide and conquer," he muttered quickly, glad that Morgan had kept up with his quick whispering.

"Right, so I'll tell Robin when he gets back," she said simply, "No worries."

"Back? Where is he?" Allan asked.

"He's arranging for Hollis to be moved up north."

"Who's Hollis?" Allan asked suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's the bloke that stayed at the camp last night. I told you about him," Morgan replied, slightly puzzled by the frown on Allan's face.

"You didn't say it was a bloke," he grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What's wrong? Jealous?" she asked playfully, faking a pout, laughing as Allan raised his eyebrow, debating whether or not to try and deny the accusation. "I'm almost offended, Allan."

"Oh, really?" he asked, relaxing, hooking one of his arms around Morgan's waist. She was about to reply when someone tackled Allan from the side, sending both attacker and victim to the ground. Allan wormed out from underneath his attacker, slamming him into the ground.

"Allan, let him up," Morgan snapped angrily. Allan looked at her incredulously.

"Not being funny, but he started it," he replied as the attacker struggled fruitlessly under his grip. Morgan sighed, pulling Allan off of his attacker, who scrambled to his feet, brushing himself off and slicking back his hair.

"Hollis, what are you doing out here?" Morgan asked, concerned. Allan looked between Morgan and the gangly teenager, who dodged Morgan's question.

"Are you alright, milady?" he asked. Morgan laughed, partially at the unfamiliar address, and partially at Allan's look of irritation.

"I'm fine. What are you doing out here?" she repeated.

"Protecting you," the boy answered, ignoring Allan's agitated scoff. "Robin said it wasn't safe to be alone in the woods. Good job, too. He works for the Sheriff!"

"That's very nice of you, Hollis, but I'm fine. This man isn't going to hurt me," she promised, though Allan's glare indicated that the same didn't apply to the teenager.

"This is Hollis?" he asked, his tone making his disapproval obvious.

"Yeah, and who are you?" Hollis asked. Morgan saw the potentially violent direction that the conversation was taking and placed her arm around Allan's waist.

"Hollis, this is Allan. He's a very good friend of mine," she explained. Hollis nodded slowly, accepting the explanation. "I need to talk to him in private for a moment. Would you mind going back to the camp?" she asked gently.

Again, he nodded, walking in the direction of the camp, stopping for a moment to give Allan a dirty look before he disappeared in the trees. Morgan looked slowly up at Allan, giggling lightly as his less-than-amused expression.

"Calm down, Allan," she laughed. "He's only a boy."

"Yeah, a boy with wandering eyes," Allan muttered, glaring after the teenager. "And what was that? 'A close friend?' Is that all?"

"I said 'a _very_ close friend,' didn't I?" Morgan corrected. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hallo, Hollis! This is Allan, my gentleman lover!'?" she proposed. Allan opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it. Morgan smiled, bumping her hip against his, trying to get him to stop frowning. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he put his arm back around her, hugging her close.

"Anything else you wanted to say?" Morgan asked, enjoying the embrace.

"Not really. I've got to get back, before they miss me," he muttered, giving her a final squeeze before breaking away from the hug, slowly walking backwards towards Nottingham.

"You watch that Hollis kid. He's got shifty eyes," he warned.

---

Morgan returned to the camp to find that Robin and Marian had beat her back. She winced, noting that they were giving Hollis a stern talking to.

"You didn't tell anyone where you where going!" Robin snapped. Marian stepped in, sounding far less angry, but no less upset.

"We were worried," she said.

"I was only gone for a little while. And I was with Morgan and her friend," he blurted in his defense. The rest of the camp turned to Robin, who in turn shot a glance at Morgan. She smiled innocently, though she knew that even Robin would be able to figure this one out.

"Hallo, Robin. Glad you're back, I need to talk to you," she said cheerily.

"Likewise," he returned, fixing her with a look.

"That, right there. That's a dad look," she pointed out weakly, though her voice trailed off. It was a dad look, alright. An angry dad look.

"The river. Now," he said, stomping off, not asking her to follow a second time. Hollis scratched at the back of his neck.

"Did I just get you in trouble?" he asked. Morgan ruffled his hair, choosing not to answer as she followed her leader out of the camp.

---

Worriedparents!Robin and Marian make me smile. Only Robin can go from laughing at Hollis' kiddie crush to giving an angry dad look. Bless his heart.

Sorry to end the chapter here, but it was running a bit long. I'll try to get the next chapter posted soon.

Hope you guys enjoy! Please review!


	4. A Big Problem

"The outlaws in the south have visited the Sheriff, and they plan on capturing you so that they can make money off the Sheriff and rule Sherwood, and there's going to be a convoy of carriages on the North Road either today or tomorrow, and the outlaws want to attack them to draw us out and split us up and divide and conquer," Morgan divulged quickly. Robin chewed on his thumbnail, trying to sort through her rushed exposition. He nodded.

"Noted. And you found out about this how?" Morgan suddenly became atypically quiet.

---

"I didn't mean to get her in trouble," Hollis said for the umpteenth time.

"It's alright, Hollis. Robin would've found out," Marian said, looking up from sharpening her knife.

"Eventually," Much muttered under his breath, chopping carrots in the most frustrated manner he could. Honestly, he didn't know how Robin could miss some of these things. He was sure that his master knew on some level. Surely, he'd known that she was in love with Allan. A blind, deaf man with a cold could've seen that. Still, how Robin had missed that she had snuck out to see Allan almost every night was beyond Much's comprehension. Honestly, where did he think the girl was going?

"Will, can you help me gather some herbs?" Djaq asked, standing. Much shook his head, chopping more furiously. There was another one he couldn't understand. Just when was Will going to tell Djaq? They were only torturing themselves by holding back. He returned his attention to the slightly mangled carrot in his hand as Will followed Djaq out of the camp.

---

Robin stared at her. Morgan was not staring back at him. She was looking at the bark on the tree next to her, the leaves on the ground, the scuff marks on her boots, anything but her leader. Robin didn't know her as well as Will or Djaq, but he knew her well enough to know that she was a lot like Allan, and Allan hated silence. If he didn't talk, she would.

She had used this very tactic on Allan many times before, and she wasn't about to fall for it. Still, each second that passed ground on her nerves, causing her to become more and more antsy. She caught Robin's gaze for a second, clearing her throat and looking down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs.

He certainly wasn't going to help her along, and she certainly wasn't being forthcoming with information. Robin crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on a tree. He could outwait her, if need be.

---

Will watched as Djaq haphazardly pick at roots and plants. He had always told himself that the timing wasn't right. He had always imagined that he'd tell her when King Richard returned. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He'd told Morgan to wait, and she hadn't. What was she getting for it? An interrogation. Will shook his head.

His brain was telling him that he was in the right. His brain was telling him that it was indeed better to wait. Morgan often teased Will about his hesitations, and he usually told her that she was being ridiculous. Still, there was a light in her eyes whenever she returned from her not-so-secret get-togethers with Allan that made Will doubt his conviction.

"Will, hold this," Djaq smiled, handing him a small pouch she'd filled. For the briefest moment, their hands touched, and Will felt his heart skip a beat. He must've turned red again, because he found that Djaq was staring at him. He pulled his hand away, clearing his throat and mustering a quick smile.

"Are you alright?" she asked, putting her hand to his forehead. "You look flushed." There was no thinking involved. Not the kind of thinking that Will usually did, anyway. He didn't consider the fact that they were outlaws in the woods. He didn't fret about whether or not she liked him back. He didn't worry about timing. He only thought about where her lips were, where his lips where, and how amazing it felt when they met.

Will had never kissed a girl like this, and in the middle of it he suddenly became very concerned that he wasn't doing it correctly. That concern melted as he felt Djaq's hands close gently around his. Afterwards, they stared at each other for a moment.

"Sorry," Will suddenly apologized with a nervous chuckle.

---

"And you've been going to see him every night?" Robin reiterated, making sure that he had everything straight. Morgan nodded, still not looking up at him.

"And you haven't been getting lost?" he asked. At that, she did look up.

"I did the first two times," she corrected. Robin stared. Now that it had been so blatantly brought to his attention, he found that he was thoroughly embarrassed that he hadn't seen it before.

"And he's been slipping you all of the information about the convoys?" he asked, thinking back to the numerous shipments of gold that Morgan had "miraculously" discovered. She nodded sheepishly.

"I'm really sorry, Robin, but I don't feel bad about what I've done. I love Allan, and I'll not stay away from him just because the two of you don't get along," she said firmly, making it perfectly clear that she meant every word. "Besides, he's passed on a fair bit of helpful information. Anyway, I understand why you're mad." With that, she slipped the tag from around her neck, holding it out to him.

"And I understand why you're tossing me out of the gang." She closed her eyes, waiting for Robin to take the tag from her open hand, waiting for him to tell her to get lost. Surprisingly, all she heard was laughing. She opened one eye, taking in the sight of Robin, hands on his hips, chuckling under his breath.

"I'm not throwing you out of the gang, Morgan," he clarified. She opened her other eye, staring with wide-eyed confusion.

"You're not?" she asked. Robin shook his head.

"No," he replied simply.

"But I've been rabbiting off every night without telling you!" Morgan sputtered.

"Well, to be fair, I never asked. Anyway, are you saying you want to get kicked out?" Robin asked. Morgan quickly shook her head.

"No, of course not!"

"Well, then, we should get back to the camp. The other outlaws will be on the move today, you said?" Robin double checked.

"Or tomorrow. That's what Allan said. Said that they got men from the Sheriff and everything," Morgan confirmed, slipping the tag back around her neck, running her thumb over the wood as Robin clapped a hand on her back.

"By the way, you'll take care of all of the chores for the next month," he smiled, heading back to camp. Morgan stared after him.

"All of them? By meself?" she hollered. Robin turned, walking backwards as he addressed her.

"Well, not the cooking, obviously. No need to punish everyone in the gang," he smirked.

---

"Hollis' cousin has gone to the Sheriff?" Marian asked, putting her hands on the boy's shoulders. The protective motion put him at ease, even though the news of his cousin's actions made him upset.

"But, surely, it's okay! We know that it is a trap, and we can be prepared for it!" Much pointed out.

"It'll be more than just a trap, though, won't it?" Hollis spoke up. "David isn't as quick or creative as most, but he's not stupid. He knows he's an outlaw. He wouldn't risk a deal with the Sheriff unless he had something else up his sleeve." It was exactly the revelation that Robin had had when Morgan first explained the trap. Hearing it from Hollis was like an affirmation of his dread. The problem wasn't that there was in ulterior motive; those were common in Nottingham. The problem was that he couldn't figure out what David's ulterior motive was.

"Hollis, think very carefully. Can you remember David ever saying anything about goals or aspirations? Anything at all?" he asked, his tone drawing silence from everyone else, giving the teenager time to think.

"He complained a lot. About you. About the Sheriff. About 'the forest's lack of pleasures.' Stuff like that," he listed, though he continued to think after he fell silent. It didn't really tell Robin anything he couldn't have figured out on his own, but he didn't say anything about it, finding that he was consumed by his thoughts.

"What if he's after it all?" Little John asked. "He strikes a deal with the Sheriff that he hopes will wipe us out. At the same time, it gives him a clear shot at the Sheriff. And by splitting us up, he'd have an easier time carting off the girls."

"That is revolting," Much commented, his face contorted with disgust. No one moved to disagree.

"Well, obviously, we can't let them trap us," Robin started planning out loud, "and we can't let him kill the Sheriff."

"We could warn the Sheriff," Marian suggested. "That way, he'll know that David's gang cannot be trusted. He will throw them all in the dungeons, and that'll be the end of our problems."

"Wouldn't that put you in trouble?" Djaq asked. "David knows that Hollis helped you escape. If he told anyone in the castle, it would be the end of your stay at the Ripley Convent." Morgan suddenly noticed that her best friend and her surrogate brother were standing a bit closer than they normally did, and she thought to ask Will if he'd finally told Djaq, but Djaq's grim epiphany distracted her from the fact.

"So, what if we warn David?" Marian persisted, trying to think things through. "Tell him that the Sheriff plans to double cross him."

"He'd want proof, though, wouldn't he?" Will countered practically. Hollis, who had been nervously fussing with the hem of his shirt, suddenly spoke.

"We could do both," he proposed. "One of you can go warn the Sheriff. And when he starts making arrangements to deal with David, I can go back to David and bring him to Nottingham. He'll see that the Sheriff is planning to double-cross him and prepare to fight back." Robin nodded as the boy talked, impressed with the simple solution.

"And we can take advantage of the chaos. Rob them both blind. David's gang has robbed loads of people. They've got plenty of money. I know where they keep it," Hollis continued.

"That'd be dangerous," Marian noticed, "What if David figures out that you were helping us?" Hollis shoved his hands in his pockets, mirroring Robin's who-cares attitude.

"He'll be too caught up with the Sheriff to think about punishing me. By the time he gets around to it, I'll have gone up north. No worries," he shrugged. Robin smiled. The kid was a natural.

---

"So, William," Morgan began, nudging the carpenter in the side as they picked their way through the woods. "How did it happen?" Will stared straight ahead. He was not going to dignify with comment.

"Will, don't shut me out!" Morgan pleaded, walking backwards in front of him, clasping her hands together in a begging fashion. "I have to know!"

"There's nothing to know, Morgan," he replied, though the blush creeping into his cheeks told a different story. "Shouldn't you be worrying about how you're going to get into the castle?" Morgan had volunteered to deliver the message to the Sheriff, but she didn't seemed worried about the impenetrable castle and the legions of guards and the cranky Sheriff.

"Got it taken care of," she explained, tapping her temple with her index finger. "Did you kiss her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Morgan," Will replied, wincing when Morgan clapped her hands, grinning knowingly.

"On the lips?" she asked.

"I don't see how this is your business," Will muttered. "I don't go asking you how you and Allan spend your time." He paused, wondering if the comment on the tip of his tongue was a good idea or not. He decided that he didn't care.

"Not that it isn't obvious." He allowed himself a victorious smirk as Morgan turned as red as he was. The comment seemed to put a stopper on her curiosity, for the moment.

---

"Vaysey," a sing-song voice floated through his dreams. It was a nice dream, filled power and gold and dead Robin Hoods. The sing-song voice resounded, puncturing the perfect image in his head. The Sheriff opened his eyes to find that there was a sword in his face. This much told him that it wasn't Hood himself; the man took every opportunity to show off that fancy bow of his. He peered around the blade, taking in the lovely, little blacksmith.

"Shh," she whispered, putting a finger over her mouth. "I'm here to help." The Sheriff sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. What was she going on about? Why did she think it was a good idea to wake him up?

"And you thought that waking me up in the middle of the night would be a good idea? A clue: no. Give me one good reason not to call my guards," he muttered grumpily.

"If you call your guards, I will not give you the very important information that I came to give you. Also, it wouldn't do any good, as they are unconscious," she reasoned. He sighed, wondering whether or not he'd return to the same dream if he just went back to sleep.

"Very well. Hurry up," he consented, crossing his arms across his chest in a pouting manner.

"The outlaw that you made a deal with is planning to double-cross you," she whispered, sitting on the edge of his bed. The Sheriff frowned. How was it that Hood and his gang always knew about the happenings in the castle? "While you send your guards out onto the North Road, they plan to storm the castle and rob you."

"I have enough guards to deal with them," the Sheriff yawned.

"Of course you do. Guards that know that you've got a deal with these outlaws and will allow them to pass without a fight," Morgan countered, standing.

"Very well. And I suppose this information was given altruistically?" The Sheriff asked sarcastically. "What do you want in return?"

"You can owe me one," Morgan reassured, patting him on the shoulder before slipping from the room.

"You can owe me one," the Sheriff repeated in a childish voice, rolling onto his side and pulling the covers over his head.

---

There's the end of this chapter! Huzzah! Sorry that things are moving a bit slow. Finals are coming up. Yuck.

Anyway, I should have the next Christmas short done by tomorrow, along with a one-shot involving a waterfall and cake.


	5. A Personal Problem

Will came into the camp first, nodding as Robin looked to him expectantly. Morgan followed shortly thereafter, throwing her hood back, smiling.

"I think he was disappointed. Think he was expecting you, Robin," she laughed.

"He would," Robin scoffed, turning to Hollis. He put a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye.

"This is really risky, Hollis. You're a brave lad to do this," he said warmly, smiling. Hollis nodded, and Robin could see the excitement in the boy's eyes, though he maintained a relaxed exterior.

"Nah, it's nothing," he muttered, but his smooth demeanor was thrown when Marian spun him around, hugging him tightly.

"We can't go with you. Please be safe," she said. Hollis nodded slowly, feebly returning the hug, remembering his mother as the soft smell of lavender wafted from Marian's hair.

"I will be," he reassured, pulling away from Marian, straightening his clothes before running off into the woods.

---

"Where did you go?" David asked, trimming his beard with a knife as he stared suspiciously at his cousin. Hollis tugged on one of his sleeves, looking up at David.

"I took the lady back to Ripley Convent. She was a nun, David," he explained. "I was going to run to Scarborough. Thought it'd be my chance to get out of the woods." David laughed at the thought of it, painfully reminding Hollis of why he so desperately loved Robin and his gang. The gang that treated him like a person, not a number, that gave him hope of a better life.

"Realized it was stupid, did you?" David asked, "Well, you're back now, and that's what matters. I've made a deal with the Sheriff."

"And he doesn't plan on helping you, David. That's why I came back. I went into Nottingham, and I saw the Sheriff organizing his men. He looks ready to charge into the forest after you. I overheard his men," Hollis sputtered. David stuck his knife into the tree trunk he was sitting on, standing and shoving Hollis square in the chest.

"Why didn't you say that part first?" he asked angrily, turning to his men. "Oy! Sheriff thinks he can pull one over on us! Let's go show him that we're outlaws for a reason!" The men started to pack up immediately, taking up arms and rushing out towards Nottingham. David picked up his knife, pointing it at Hollis.

"Don't think that you're in the clear for helping that woman. I don't care if she was a nun or not; I had plans! Stay here and watch the camp," he sneered, leaving his cousin behind for the second and last time. Hollis barely had the self control to hold back the grin that was pulling at his lips.

"That was easy," he muttered, turning to take in the sunrise that was starting to peek over the horizon.

---

David and his gang had made it halfway through the forest when they ran into the Sheriff's men. Both sides, having been fed false information of an impending double cross, reacted quite rashly. The fighting was intense, and the shouting was more so. If it wasn't David hollering about two faced sheriff that you couldn't trust as far as you could throw them, it was Gisborne barking militant orders to his men. Gisborne was glad that he hadn't dragged Allan along; the last thing that he needed was the man's smug "I told you so."

---

Allan did not wake up to Gisborne's frantic shouts to get a move on, which he enjoyed. He instead woke up to the feel of a light embrace and soft lips against his neck. He smiled, chuckling in his sleep as he put his arm around her, resting his hand on the curve of her hip.

"Morning, Morgan," he greeted sleepily. Mentally, he paused, contemplating what he had just said. He opened his eyes, looking to the side. "Morgan? Have you lost your mind?"

"Morning, Allan," she returned cheerily, walking her fingers up his chest. "Get dressed. I need your help getting into the castle." She pecked him on the cheek and rolled out of his bed, turning away to give him some privacy. Though he wasn't exactly sure why she was standing there when one of Gisborne's men was sure to come and wake him, he followed her instructions.

"That was a nice wake up," he grinned as he dressed. "Special occasion?"

"More of a softener, actually," Morgan corrected, tapping her foot against the floor. "Promise you won't be mad?" Allan had gotten his shirt halfway over his head, but he stopped.

"Why would I be mad?" he asked slowly, though he didn't really want to hear the answer.

"Robin may or may not know about us," she said casually, hoping that it would take the punch out of the admission. There was complete silence, causing Morgan to turn. Allan was staring at her, his shirt still only halfway-on, a look of utmost horror on his face.

"How?" he asked.

"There was an incident that led to the unveiling of certain facts which Robin pieced together in a most annoyed manner," she said innocently, giving Allan's shirt a tug, pulling it all the way on.

"And this incident wouldn't happen to be a certain gawky, fifteen-year old boy, would it?" Allan asked, slipping his vest on. Morgan looked up at the ceiling.

"Maybe," she answered plainly. Allan nodded knowingly, which seemed to annoy Morgan. "Are you going to be like this with every man I meet?"

"Only the ones that pay too much attention to your bum," he answered with a grin, which only widened as Morgan blushed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Allan. He's only a boy," she muttered. He finished pulling on his boots, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Love you," he offered. Morgan sighed, and he knew that she would let the comment slide.

"I love you, too, Allan. Now, about getting into the castle."

---

Renton Faulkner was a nice guy, really. He didn't particularly enjoy the negative connotations of being a castle guard. Sure, he would gamble and occasionally go a bit heavy on the ale, but he loved his wife and was quick with a helping hand. As much as he liked being able to feed his family, Renton didn't much care for the Sheriff, and was anxiously awaiting King Richard's return.

So, when Allan A Dale had approached him, shoved a small sack of gold into his hands, and told him to let a small group of people pass through the gate, Renton was quick to turn a blind eye. Sure, he'd recognized the hulking giant of a man called Little John, the Saracen woman called Djaq, and the carpenter named Will Scarlet. Sure, he'd noticed that Allan had suddenly found things for the other guards to do that largely involved leaving the courtyard empty. Sure, he'd seen the outlaws shed their disguises and head into the castle, only to come out nearly half an hour later with bulging bags of gold. But he also knew that the gold was going to people in need. And Renton Faulkner was a nice guy, really.

---

Robin, Marian, and Much picked their way through the forest. Usually, they would trek over the terrain with little difficulty, but they were in the southern tip of the forest. They didn't travel there often, as it was run by David and his gang. Still, the directions that Hollis had given were impeccable, and they soon stumbled across the camp, where Hollis was waiting for them.

"I got the bags filled and all," he smiled proudly, nodding at the full sacks at the foot of the tree he was leaning against. Marian laughed lightly; he reminded her of Robin when he was younger.

"Good work, Hollis," Robin grinned, giving the boy a congratulatory bear hug, lifting him slightly off the ground. Marian looked to Much, jerking her head towards Robin.

"You see that?" she asked. Much looked at Robin and Hollis and nodded.

"Yes. He's never held me like that," he muttered. Marian shook her head.

"He'd make a lovely father," she whispered. Much couldn't tell if she wanted him to agree with her or if it was meant to be a private thought; it was all so confusing with girls.

"Lovely," he mumbled, moving forward to help Robin with the loot.

"I will say, this is all proceeding rather flawlessly," Robin commented. Much dropped the bags in his hands and hastily clamped a hand over Robin's mouth.

"Do not!" he cautioned. Robin wriggled out of Much's grasp, staring in surprise.

"Do not what?" he asked.

"Remember the last time you tried to say that everything was going well?" Much asked, shooting Robin a warning look as he retrieved the bags of gold from the forest floor. Hollis moved forward, brushing the hair from his eyes, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Well? What happened, Much?" he asked. Much was so unaccustomed to people listening to him that he began the list of stories straightaway.

"It all started at the Treeton Mine, as it were," Much began, walking back towards the camp, smiling as Hollis followed, listening to his every word. Robin and Marian simultaneously slung bags of gold over their shoulders, smiling at each other.

"You know, if Morgan was right, and you are the father and I am the mother," Marian asked, holding Robin's hand as they followed Much and his audience of one, "does that make Much the uncle?"

"Uncle Much," Robin tested, mulling the name over in his head, smirking. "I think he'd like the sound of that."

---

The morning flew by quickly. Having secured an extensive amount of gold from both the castle and the outlaw camp, the gang busied themselves with sharing their newfound fortune. While Robin, Marian, Much, and Hollis visited the southern villages, Will, Djaq, and Little John hit the villages in the north.

They met in Nettlestone, which was more or less in the middle, finding that it was buzzing with gossip. Of course, they'd come to expect it, given the wizened old woman who lived in the center of the village. While the rest of the gang split up to distribute gold, Robin and Much knocked on the door of the center cottage, bracing themselves.

"Oh, if it isn't Robin Hood himself! I'd like to say that I wasn't expecting you, only Lacy in Nottingham said that there'd been a break in at the castle!" the old woman started immediately, opening her door and welcoming her guests inside. Much could see right away why Morgan disliked visiting. The woman was loud and nosy, and her house smelled of cabbage.

"Good afternoon, Poppy," Robin greeted, dropping a sack of gold on her table. "Do you happen to know anything about a fight with some of the Sheriff's men and the outlaws in the south?" Poppy gave a toothless grin, moving to pick up the sack of coins. Robin gently stopped her hand, raising an eyebrow. She settled back into her chair, frowning only slightly.

"I've heard a great deal of it. The outlaw's leader, a poxy, brute of a man named David, was leading his men to Nottingham, while Guy of Gisborne was leading his men to Sherwood. There was a horrible clash in the woods. Naturally, Gisborne's men won, dragged nearly every one of the outlaw's to the dungeons in Nottingham. Lacy says that they're not to hang, but they've earned permanent rooms in the dungeons at Nottingham. Everyone knows that the lads won't last longer than a month at the most. Anyway, the Sheriff himself went into the woods, overseeing the roundup of the last of David's gang, no doubt." She rambled matter-of-factly, satisfied when Robin pushed the sack of gold towards her. As he and Much turned to leave, Poppy cried out.

"Wait half a minute! Have you any news for me? Maybe something about how you got into the castle? Lacy said that it's on proper lockdown," Poppy pried, trying for some new information. Robin shrugged.

"You'll have to wait for Morgan to come about for that one. I wasn't there," he admitted, trying not to laugh at the woman's look of shock as he walked out. Much was more than ready to follow.

"That woman is revolting," he muttered under his breath, adjusting his cap.

---

Morgan was in a very good mood, indeed. The lift at the castle had gone without a problem, and she'd watched Gisborne and his men drag David's gang into custody, which meant that everything should've gone accordingly on Robin's end. She had spent the later half of the morning with Allan, which was always a good thing, in her opinion.

"Tonight, after dark?" He called after her.

"I'll be there," she smiled, waving over her shoulder as she made her way back to the woods. She made it back to the camp just before everyone else did.

"Can I say it now?" Robin was asking.

"Yes," Much replied flatly, "If you must."

"Say what?" Morgan asked, her legs hanging over the side of her loft as she sat, waiting for an answer.

"Say that today went rather well, and, for once, things went according to plan with no hitches or obstacles," Robin replied. "Thanks to Hollis's brilliant plan!"

"Nah, it was nothing," Hollis shrugged casually. Marian hugged him from behind, ruffling his hair.

"It was amazing, Hollis," she corrected, though even as she tried to smile, she found that she couldn't. Everyone in the camp had known this moment would come, but they were all saddened by it. Robin nodded to Morgan, who climbed down from the loft, pulling her cloak from the post she'd draped it on, getting ready to go as Robin pulled a money purse from his pocket, giving it to Hollis.

"I've got to go, then?" Hollis asked. Robin nodded, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Morgan will take you to her mother. I want you to be safe. The Sheriff and his men are still in the forest," he warned. Hollis nodded, looking between Robin and Marian.

"I don't really know what to say," he muttered, feeling the weight of the purse in his hands. "You've been so kind to me." He stopped. If he kept going, he was likely to start sniffling. He wanted to be cool, like Robin, and Robin didn't sniffle.

"You don't have to say anything. If we want to visit, we know where to find you," Marian comforted, hugging the boy once more. "Now, go. Morgan, take care of him." Morgan shot of a reassuring salute, smirking.

"Come on then, Hollis, let's go," she said, holding her hand out. He took it, and she began to lead him away from the camp, heading north to a new life.

---

Sorry that there wasn't a lot of conflict in this chapter! I'll definitely throw some into the next chapter, which I should be posting either later today or sometime tomorrow. I'm not sure at this point.

I don't really have much to say about this chapter, except that Poppy's back! I enjoyed writing her too much to not use her again. Also, I want an Uncle Much. Don't pretend that you don't. XD Also, I may use Renton again. I just like the name.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	6. Problems Solved

Will snuck another glance at Djaq, who was sitting next to him. Everyone was at camp, except for Morgan, who was taking Hollis up north. Usually, they didn't mind, but given their budding relationship, they had been hoping for some time to themselves.

Djaq was racking her brain, trying to think of a reason to leave. She'd already gathered herbs, and the hunting was done. Much was busy cooking, Little John was taking a nap, and Robin and Marian were talking quietly in a corner.

"Much, what are you cooking?" Djaq asked.

"Some venison, and I've thrown together a salad. Just some lettuce really," he answered, slightly distracted. "That's what you wanted, right? A salad?"

"Yes, but if it's only lettuce, it's not much of a salad," Djaq pointed out, the perfect excuse presenting itself to her. "I'll go get some honey to put on it. Maybe some nuts. Come on, Will."

"Hold on, why does Will have to go?" Much asked. Djaq rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious.

"Because the Sheriff has men in the forest today, Much. You think I'm going by myself?" she asked. Will stood, smiling at Much.

"It's ok, Much. I don't mind going," he said, turning to Djaq. "We'll be back soon." With that, he allowed Djaq to take his hand as they left camp together. Much stared after them.

"Honey, my Aunt Sally," he muttered, shaking his head and going back to his cooking. "I haven't even got an Aunt Sally!"

---

"It's alright, Hollis. You don't have to hold my hand so tight," Morgan joked as they walked down the path. Hollis snuck a glance over at Morgan, his voice catching in his throat as he tried to laugh it off.

"The trees," he started, but his voice trailed off as Morgan looked at him, patiently waiting for him to talk. Even though everyone at camp was aware of his little crush, he had yet to spend any time alone with Morgan.

"You were saying?" she asked, tucking a stray strand of her raven hair behind her ear, adjusting her headband.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going to say that the trees look rather nice," he mumbled, looking away from those large, green eyes.

"Aye, I suppose they are," Morgan agreed.

"It was really amazing, being able to hang out with the gang," Hollis commented. "Robin is so cool."

"Really?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow. Hollis nodded.

"Yeah, he reminded me of my dad. And Lady Marian smelled of lavender, like my mother," he reflected.

"Well, me mum is nothing like Robin and Marian. She's a bit cantankerous, if truth be told. A loving woman, but brutally honest," Morgan commented.

"Like your brother?" Hollis asked. He saw Morgan's look of confusion and explained himself. "Djaq was telling me about him. Said he was a right honest bloke."

"Aye, he was," Morgan agreed, and suddenly, there was a sadness in her voice that Hollis hadn't heard before.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to bring him up. I shouldn't have."

"It's alright," Morgan mustered a smile, "Come on, then. We've got a ways to go before dark." They walked a bit further, completely silent. Hollis slipped his hand from Morgan's, wiping his sweaty palm on his shirt.

"That bloke from before, the one that works for the Sheriff. Is he your husband?" he asked curiously. Morgan looked away to hide her blush.

"No, he's not," she giggled. "I don't have a husband."

"That's good to hear," Morgan stopped short, drawing her bow and spinning on heel. The voice didn't belong to Hollis. A strong arm grabbed her around the waist, and whoever it was pressed a knife to her throat.

"Don't do anything silly," a harsh voice whispered in her ear.

"Let her go!" Hollis shouted, drawing his bow. "I'm warning you, David, let her go!"

"Cost me everything, you did, Hollis," he grunted, "My gold, my gang, my camp. Sheriff's been hunting me down like a dog."

"Then I suggest you let her go before I finish the Sheriff's work." David scoffed.

"I know you. You've not got it in you. You're soft. Besides, you're a rubbish shot. You'd hurt your friend here," he pointed out smugly, forcing Morgan's body against his. Morgan shuddered, wishing that there was a way to scratch the man's eyes out before he'd have the chance to slit her throat.

"Not necessarily," Hollis returned, though he knew that the David was right. Still, he held his aim. He stared past David and Morgan, watching as someone rode up on a white horse. The cloaked figure put his hands to his lips, warning Hollis to keep quiet. The teenager watched as the cloaked figure slipped off of the horse, stepping behind David. The outlaw was rambling, completely unaware.

"You're a pretty girl, maybe we can come to an agreement," he suggested, his breath hot against the skin of Morgan's neck as he talked. Hollis stepped forward, stopped only when David pressed the knife to Morgan's neck.

"Hollis, how much do you love your cousin? Be honest, because I'm going to kill him," Morgan asked as she tried to pull away from David's grip, glowering at the smelly outlaw. Hollis saw the cloaked figure drawing nearer and tried to stall for time.

"Honestly? I'd sooner stab my eyes out than ever see this lousy git again. He's dirty and repulsive, and he deserves to fall on his own knife," he hissed. The cloaked figure drew a dagger from his robes.

"As you wish, lad" he muttered, plunging the weapon into David's back, giving it a harsh twist. Morgan let out a sigh as David fell, releasing her. Her hand shot to her neck, rubbing at where the knife had been. Hollis was staring, wide-eyed, wordlessly pointing behind Morgan. She turned, gasping herself. The cloaked figure had pulled back his hood, revealing a familiarly bald head.

"Wait, did you just save me life?" Morgan asked, backing away, utterly confused. The Sheriff looked casually down at David's body, shrugging as he retrieved his dagger.

"It would seem that way," he muttered disinterestedly.

"Why?" Morgan questioned suspiciously, her hand closing around the hilt of her sword. The Sheriff got back on his horse, as if he hadn't just done something uncharacteristically heroic.

"I've been chasing this 'lousy git' all day. Don't flatter yourself, lovely, little blacksmith," he warned, turning his horse back towards Nottingham.

"Besides, I owed you one," he remarked, imitating Morgan. He dug his heels into his horse, riding off without another word. Morgan and Hollis exchanged glances, completely floored by the bizarre series of events.

"Did that just happen?" Morgan asked. Hollis looked to his cousin's corpse.

"I suppose it did," he muttered.

---

"What took you so long?" Much snapped as soon as Morgan reentered the camp. His anger faded to concern when he took in her appearance. She looked positively disheveled, dirt smeared across her face and hands, a stain that looked something like blood on her shirt.

"What happened to you?" Little John asked bluntly.

"We were ambushed," Morgan admitted, "Hollis' cousin came out of nowhere." From their seats at the table, Robin and Marian whipped around, standing, preparing to leap into battle.

"Is he all right?" Marian demanded.

"Hollis is fine. He's with me mum. His cousin though…" she trailed off, still a bit shaken by the afternoon's events.

"Did you kill him?" Robin asked. Morgan shook her head.

"Did Hollis kill him?" Robin changed his question, relieved when Morgan shook her head again. Hollis was far too young to be killing things. Still, it did leave quite a large hole in Morgan's story.

"Then, what happened?" Much asked. Morgan opened her mouth to tell the gang, but the words seemed to get lost on the way out. She stared, in something of a daze, unsure of what to say. Little John impatiently slammed his staff against the ground, startling Morgan from her thoughts.

"Now, I'm not entirely sure, but I think that the Sheriff just saved me life," she said slowly. Robin laughed.

"That's a good one, Morgan," he admitted, with a chuckle, only to see that she wasn't laughing. "What? Are you serious?"

---

Will realized that he was very lucky that Djaq was different from every other girl he'd ever met. He had a nagging feeling that he'd be complete rubbish trying to deal with any other girls. Other girls would expect him to woo them in that traditional way, with flowers and sweet whispers and trinkets and the like. Djaq just expected him to be who he was.

He laced his fingers in hers as they sat by the stream. He looked around for a brief moment before sighing in feigned disappointment.

"I can't find any honey," he frowned. Djaq smiled at his joke.

"Perhaps you aren't looking in the right place," she suggested, kissing him on the lips. It wasn't long after that Morgan came round the bend, intending to get washed up. Upon seeing Will and Djaq involved in intense honey gathering, she stopped short, slowly and silently walking backwards, deciding that perhaps a spot further downstream would be better.

"Was that Morgan?" Djaq asked casually. Will shrugged. Djaq playfully pushed him in the shoulder.

"You know, if we ever get married, you're going to have to do more talking," she joked, laughing as Will turned red.

"Married? But we've only started courting today," he asked.

"Relax, I was only joking," she smiled, leaning against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Much to her surprise, Will made a casual remark.

"But, you have to admit. Djaq Scarlet certainly has a nice ring to it."

---

When the sun had gone done, and everything was settled from the day's adventures, Morgan left the camp, pausing only momentarily to look at Robin, who only nodded in approval. She barely remembered walking to Locksley, though she rarely, if ever, did. The walk to and from wasn't what she liked to think about, it was the time she spent in the village that made the trips worthwhile.

Allan had prepared a veritable feast. There was steak and fresh vegetables and even a bit of wine. Morgan had started to ask him how he could afford such a nice spread, but the smell of the carefully prepared food beckoned her to sit. They ate in relative silence, enjoying the food, each other's company, and the candlelight. It was all very romantic, in Morgan's opinion.

"It'll be nice when all of this is over and done with," Allan commented, stabbing the last bit of meat on his plate with a fork, holding it up and inspecting it before popping it into his mouth. "And we can do this without sneaking around and stuff."

"I don't know. I think the sneaking around makes it fun," Morgan smiled, picking a grape from the bowl in front of her. "I think I may actually miss it."

"Morgan, have you tried the bread?" Allan suddenly asked, pointing at the untouched loaf on Morgan's plate.

"Obviously not. I thought I would bring it back for the gang," she said, smiling. Allan nodded.

"Well, you should at least try it. You know, just rip it apart and take a bite," he encouraged.

"I'm so full, Allan. I don't think I could eat anymore, really," she whined. Allan put on his best "puppy-dog" look.

"Please?" he asked. "Just try it?" Morgan considered his bright blue eyes and smiled, knowing that he knew she wouldn't say no. She took the loaf of bread and pulled it apart, jumping slightly as an envelope fell out of it.

"What's this?" she asked, picking up the envelope, which had her name on it. Allan shrugged, though he was trying to hide his excitement. Morgan opened the envelope and pulled out a ring. It was a simple ring, a silver band with a small gemstone set in it.

"Oh, it's gorgeous," she whispered, slipping the ring on her finger.

"I figured that since Robin already knows, there couldn't be any harm in you wearing it," Allan explained. "Make sure that you get everything out of the envelope." Morgan double checked. There was also a note in the envelope, and the look on Allan's face told her that she needed to read it immediately. She unfolded the parchment, her eyes brightening as she looked up at Allan, unable to say anything.

The parchment hosted only two words, large and bold for all to see. Morgan read the note again, pinching herself in the arm to make sure that this was really happening.

"What?" Allan asked, "Did I spell it wrong?" Morgan shook her head, dropping the note on the ground as she launched herself across the table, hugging Allan tightly.

"Is this a yes?" he asked, sighing with relief as Morgan nodded. "Good." He returned her embrace glancing down at the note, which stared up at him from the floor. He read the letter himself, though he knew what it said. He'd spent the better part of the past month, trying to write up a long, romantic poem, but in the end he had decided to keep it simple. A part of him had always known that he wanted to marry Morgan, and the inexplicable jealousy that had flared up when he caught the gawky teenager watching her a little too closely had spurred him to action.

_Marry me?_ He had worried that perhaps this wasn't the right way to go about it, but Morgan's reaction quashed his apprehension.

"Morgan A Dale," Morgan said out loud, smiling. "Certainly has a ring to it."

---

The end! So, Will and Djaq are kissing by the stream, Robin and Marian are surrogate parents, Allan and Morgan are engaged, and the Sheriff has done a good deed. This is all a bit AU, when I think about it. XD

Anyway, I hope to have a couple of oneshots done by the end of this week, one of them being a Christmas related one, but don't hold me to that.

I hope you've all enjoyed! Please review!


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